Δ 2015-2017

BIO

With a cross-cultural and field-driven approach, Ren’s analogue photography seeks to capture delicate urban details. She is interested in subtle patterns—traces in the topography and geography. Most of her photographs are unplanned, a result of daily walks, bike rides, and quiet, unstaged observations.

Ding Ren was born in a small Chinese village along the Yangtze River. At age 3 her family immigrated to the United States where she grew up, went to University and received her Masters of Fine Arts. In 2010 she moved from Washington, DC to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and has been living there ever since. Instead of physical roots to a place, Ren finds her roots in her photographic practice, which has been a constant part for most of her life. She continues to work mainly with analogue processes because it is where she began her photographic journey and wants to remain.

Her work has been exhibited in the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, the Philippines, China, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, South Korea, the UK, and Poland. Ren is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor of Photography for University of Maryland, University College. She is also the co-founder of google sheep view and as a result is an avid knitter.